5 secret sites in Yellowstone most visitors miss

With its otherworldly thermal features, magnificent waterfalls, and the best wildlife-watching this side of the Serengeti, it’s no wonder Yellowstone National Park tops the list as one of the most popular parks in the United States. But on a summer weekend, it can feel like all 4.7 million people who visit annually are arriving at the same time.

Circling for a parking space at Mammoth Hot Springs or jostling with the hordes at Old Faithful can drain the patience from even the most intrepid travelers. Savvy visitors know to time their visits to these iconic spots (early morning/evening), but there’s also much more to America’s first national park.

Looking beyond the most famous stops reveals a Yellowstone with all the stunning landscapes that attracts travelers to the park in the first place, but without the crowds. Here are the best alternatives to the biggest sites.

Instead of wildlife-watching in the Lamar Valley, try the Northeast Entrance

The wide, peaceful Lamar Valley, near Tower Junction in the northern part of the park, has a well-deserved reputation for easy-to-spot wolves, bison, elk, and bears. But the word is out, and a space in one of the area’s scarce road pullouts can be hard to come by.

A short drive farther on the Northeast Entrance Road unlocks a quieter part of the habitat at the Northeast Entrance, which sees just seven percent of Yellowstone’s visitor traffic. The 12-mile trail between the Pebble Creek and Warm Springs Trailheads tracks through primo meadow and forest habitat (the Warm Springs side sees even fewer hikers, although it starts with a steep climb).

For a shorter fix, try the 1.2-mile lollipop loop trail around Trout Lake. Grizzly bears frequent both trails, so hike with friends and bear spray. For the night, rough it in tiny Slough Creek Campground—the park’s quietest—or book a hotel room in sleepy Cooke City just outside the park.

(Here’s how to plan an epic summer trip to a national park)

Instead of gazing at Old Faithful, head to a backcountry geyser basin

Old Faithful’s 150-foot spout is surrounded by boardwalks often jammed up with an amusement park’s worth of fans. But the flat, 2.5-mile (one-way) hike along the Firehole River skips crowds to Lone Star Geyser, which goes off every three hours. Its spout may be smaller than Old Faithful at 45 feet, but fellow geyser watchers here are likely to number in the single digits rather than the hundreds.

If that’s still too busy, then continue another 6.5 miles to the backcountry Shoshone Geyser Basin, where there’s a good chance you’ll have the scores of geysers bubbling and spewing amid hot springs, steam vents, and mudpots all to yourself. Backpackers can make a night of it at one of the secluded campsites along Shoshone Lake.

Instead of a dip at Firehole Canyon, soak in a natural hot tub

Safe places to swim are few and far between at Yellowstone, which explains why the Firehole Canyon swimming hole near Madison junction gets so jammed with bathers. Demand has only increased since floods in 2022 washed out the popular Boiling River hot spring. But few venture to the Bechler area at the park’s southwestern tip, a remote zone nicknamed Cascade Corner for its bountiful waterfalls.

Fewer still go as far as the backcountry hot spring known as Mr. Bubbles. The thigh-deep pool comes from a thermal spring deep in the wilderness mixing with cold water from the Ferris Fork. To get to Mr. Bubbles, visitors must brave the 80-mile, sometimes-bumpy drive from West Yellowstone, then hike 14 miles, fording icy rivers en route. The difficult trip is best for experienced backpackers; outfitters like Wildland Trekking or Discovery Treks offer guided trips.

(Feeling frazzled? These soothing hot springs help you unwind.)

Instead of hiking Mount Washburn, hoof it up Avalanche Peak

Located in the center of Yellowstone, 10,259-foot Mount Washburn is popular for its wide-open views, wildflowers, and manageable elevation gain for a day hike. But for stunning mountain views with less company, follow the old adage: The harder the hike, the fewer the hikers.

The trail up Avalanche Peak, a 10,574-footer in the highlands east of Yellowstone Lake, shoots up 2,100 feet in just 2.1 miles—a steep, rocky ascent that attracts far fewer people. The extra effort rewards with a panorama of the lake and surrounding peaks, plus serious bragging rights.

Instead of gazing at Lower Falls from Artist Point, descend to Red Rock Point

Tumbling 308 feet over the rock wall at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Lower Falls is one of the park’s most impressive cascades. To see it, most people drive to the South Rim’s Artist Point. But this area isn’t just crowded, it’s also a parking lot.

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For a more intimate look, head to the North Rim’s Red Rock Point. From the pullout at Lookout Point, take the wooden staircase about 270 feet down into the canyon. The view from Red Rock Point, the knobby overlook at the bottom, is as awesome as the one at Artist Point—and even closer to the falls.